Hi,
I am owning The Black Pearl.
But it is mixed in thousands of other pieces from 1970s to 2025. As I have a
bunch of sets through decades in one pile.
In order to get the original pieces as far as possible I encountered that some
single plates and single bricks do have different bottom tubes.
I guess the older ones have filled bottom tubes where the newer ones have unfilled
tubes. But here is the clue: When was that change made?
I have read some sets have both kinds. I am super confused as I want to sell
my Black Pearl but don't know what are the correct pieces
I don't want to upset the buyer/collector or does this even matter that much?
Hi,
I am owning The Black Pearl.
But it is mixed in thousands of other pieces from 1970s to 2025. As I have a
bunch of sets through decades in one pile.
In order to get the original pieces as far as possible I encountered that some
single plates and single bricks do have different bottom tubes.
I guess the older ones have filled bottom tubes where the newer ones have unfilled
tubes. But here is the clue: When was that change made?
I have read some sets have both kinds. I am super confused as I want to sell
my Black Pearl but don't know what are the correct pieces
I don't want to upset the buyer/collector or does this even matter that much?
Look for mold differences on the undersides of your bricks/plates. Modern part
undersides will have ejector pin marks on them (the half-circles). Older parts
will not have these mold markings. These started showing up on most parts around
2008.
Modern plates have hollow tubes. Modern bricks have solid tubes, though some
sets contained bricks with hollow tubes until 2011-ish.
Meaning that bricks with solid tubes at the bottom only have appeared since 2010?
Meaning all of my bricks with unfilled tubes have to be before? So all older
sets from 1990s have those unfilled ones bricks? Always thought it is the other
way around!
In General, Dan614 writes:
In General, Martin_MD writes:
Hi,
I am owning The Black Pearl.
But it is mixed in thousands of other pieces from 1970s to 2025. As I have a
bunch of sets through decades in one pile.
In order to get the original pieces as far as possible I encountered that some
single plates and single bricks do have different bottom tubes.
I guess the older ones have filled bottom tubes where the newer ones have unfilled
tubes. But here is the clue: When was that change made?
I have read some sets have both kinds. I am super confused as I want to sell
my Black Pearl but don't know what are the correct pieces
I don't want to upset the buyer/collector or does this even matter that much?
Look for mold differences on the undersides of your bricks/plates. Modern part
undersides will have ejector pin marks on them (the half-circles). Older parts
will not have these mold markings. These started showing up on most parts around
2008.
Modern plates have hollow tubes. Modern bricks have solid tubes, though some
sets contained bricks with hollow tubes until 2011-ish.
Meaning that bricks with solid tubes at the bottom only have appeared since 2010?
Meaning all of my bricks with unfilled tubes have to be before? So all older
sets from 1990s have those unfilled ones bricks? Always thought it is the other
way around!
No, as I said in other posts, I don’t know the exact date but before the 1990s,
all plates and bricks had full underside pins (and different struts inside 1x#
bricks).
Then the holes appeared on both plates and bricks (1990s, 2000s?).
Then the holes disappeared from the bricks (late 2000s?) but stayed on the plates.
Meaning that bricks with solid tubes at the bottom only have appeared since 2010?
Meaning all of my bricks with unfilled tubes have to be before? So all older
sets from 1990s have those unfilled ones bricks? Always thought it is the other
way around!
No, as I said in other posts, I don’t know the exact date but before the 1990s,
all plates and bricks had full underside pins (and different struts inside 1x#
bricks).
Then the holes appeared on both plates and bricks (1990s, 2000s?).
Then the holes disappeared from the bricks (late 2000s?) but stayed on the plates.
It was explained to me in Denmark 20 years ago as an uncertain evolution of bricks,albeit
the manufacturing and process in that manufacturing.
Initially Lego had these huge plans around 1975 to directly compete against Meccano.
That competition was called around that time - lego technical for a few months
and eventually a name was settled as Technic(s).
On top of manufacturing decisions, or should I say a series of indifferent decisions
the technology boom of 1993 occurred, followed by the dot.com influence and then
finally another leadership change.
Most of lego's financial woes were actually poor and indifferent business
decisions which finally resulted in taking a small piece of each and drawing
a realization that lego was not a childs toy. Then a greater effort was made
into partnerships through franchise, licencing and royalty rights. I don't
need to tell anyone about "star wars" "LOTR" disney sets and
so forth.
Some geographical manufacturing processes remained due to expenditure and other
changed during upgrade and growth. Eventually we saw a "standard"
We now have had 15 years of stability.
It was a culmination of decisions both good and bad, with a small mix of our
own evolution.
[…]
It was explained to me in Denmark 20 years ago as an uncertain evolution of bricks,albeit
the manufacturing and process in that manufacturing.
Initially Lego had these huge plans around 1975 to directly compete against Meccano.
That competition was called around that time - lego technical for a few months
and eventually a name was settled as Technic(s). […]
Er, that’s not what we are talking about at all.
We are talking about the underside pins/tubes on plates and bricks, as shown
on the pic below:
[…]
It was explained to me in Denmark 20 years ago as an uncertain evolution of bricks,albeit
the manufacturing and process in that manufacturing.
Initially Lego had these huge plans around 1975 to directly compete against Meccano.
That competition was called around that time - lego technical for a few months
and eventually a name was settled as Technic(s). […]
Er, that’s not what we are talking about at all.
We are talking about the underside pins/tubes on plates and bricks, as shown
on the pic below:
Yes I attached that quite poorly. Not only was I on the incorrect thread I wasn't
even in the correct group.
Ah okay, so if I do have a set from 2009 it definitely has to have bricks with
full tubes but plates with unfilled tubes.
If I do have a set from 1990 plates and bricks have to have full tubes... Super
annoying to distinguish all from a big pile
In General, SylvainLS writes:
In General, Martin_MD writes:
Oh, okay?
I am a little confused.
Meaning that bricks with solid tubes at the bottom only have appeared since 2010?
Meaning all of my bricks with unfilled tubes have to be before? So all older
sets from 1990s have those unfilled ones bricks? Always thought it is the other
way around!
No, as I said in other posts, I don’t know the exact date but before the 1990s,
all plates and bricks had full underside pins (and different struts inside 1x#
bricks).
Then the holes appeared on both plates and bricks (1990s, 2000s?).
Then the holes disappeared from the bricks (late 2000s?) but stayed on the plates.
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